


Clair de Lune

by KlonoaDreams



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Akamatsu wants off this wild ride, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Amami just wants to do SOMETHING for once, And Then Some, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Eventual Relationships, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Saihara just wants everyone to live, Self-Insert, Spoilers, Time Looping Saihara, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-01-18 18:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12394122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlonoaDreams/pseuds/KlonoaDreams
Summary: There are a lot of better places to wake up after a night of heavy drinking and I'm sure most of them involve waking up in your own body. Gotta say, it's quite the experience being hungover in someone else's body—especially if that someone happens to be Akamatsu Kaede. Ahahaha, well fuck me sideways for not finishing the game! SI!Kaede with a twist.





	1. Coda

**Author's Note:**

> So like, hey, here's a new story that spawned from  _Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony_  breaking me and the twitch chat during my DRV3 streams ([which are all archived here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5i_wUXYIo3Yu-fNE43H2IjVcimMJWWkt)). Tears were shed, bears were damned, and much suffering ensued. And yeah, I know I should be working on  _You've Got That Wrong!_ , considering how goddamn long it's been since I update, but I'll get to it eventually!
> 
> In the meantime, have this fic that I made with the tears I've shed while playing this game! Yeah…oh, and  **HUGE SPOILER WARNING** , but I wouldn't recommend reading this fic unless you've beaten the game or watched a playthrough of it. Seriously, trust me on that—this game is worth going in unspoiled.
> 
> To those who will go on in anyways regardless of the warning, because I know I have readers who will read  _any_  of my fics just because I wrote them…I hope this doesn't turn you away from getting into the series! Please do give it a chance if you have the time!
> 
>  
> 
> **Please do read the A/N at the end of the chapter, as I have some important things to say regarding _You've Got That Wrong!_**
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, time for the mandatory disclaimer!
> 
>  
> 
> **Disclaimer for whole story: I don't own Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony or anything related to it!**
> 
>  
> 
> With that out of the way, let's get on with this story! Happy reading!

_Who the hell stuffed me into a locker?!_

That's about the first thought I had in my head as I stumbled out of a locker I was stuffed into…you know, like a  _nerd_. Never mind the fact that I  _am_  a nerd, so this isn't exactly too farfetched, but I digress. As for my next thought…

_Oh_ _**shit** _ _!_

_Thud!_

I fell hard into the floor the second I stepped out of the locker. My legs did not want to work and as a result, I slammed my forehead  _hard_  against the floor.

"Ouch!" What a way to wake up after a night of drinking…I probably should be more careful about that, even if I  _wasn't_  the designated driver (hence why I was drinking so much in the first place). Well, at least I got that out of my system…please tell me I didn't break into a school in my drunken haze and then passed out in a locker. "Hoo boy, Mama's  _not_  gonna like this…"

_Where the hell's my phone…?_

I probably have a lot of missed calls from home.

_I am_ _**so** _ _dead—huh?_

When I tried reaching into my bag, I quickly found out that I didn't have one. I panicked immediately, because my fucking ID, driver's license, and debit card were in there!

"Fuck me!" I swore loudly as I began to look around for any signs of my belongings. That's when I realize something very off. "What the hell are these clothes?!"

A light purple sweater vest and brownish-red tie over a white dress shirt with a purple skirt? The hell—I don't wear shit like this normally!

_Forget that, what the hell are these boobs?!_

I stared down at my surprisingly large chest and tentatively poked at it a few times— _juuust_  to check if they were real.

_Poke! Poke! Pooooke!_

"Oww!" Aww, crap, I  _felt_  that! "Oh,  _hell_ —they're  _ **real**_!"

_Dammit, I was hoping they were fake!_

Okay, stay calm…just stay calm—no need to freak out, even though your body may have been modified for whatever fucking reason you don't know. Focus on what's more important…like these clothes. Seriously, where the hell did I get these clothes? Is this a school uniform? Because if it is, why am I wearing one?! I'm in college, for fuck's sake—not high school!

_This is some anime con gone bad, isn't it?_

Is that what happened last night? That would explain the lacking need of a designated driver…

_That still doesn't explain the boobs, though…_

Or the fact that my skin seems a lot paler than it should be…

…

…

_Poke, poke! Poke, pooooke~!_

_Might as well get this out of my system before I do anything else…_

It's a good thing there's no one around to see this, or this might be  _really_  embarrassing.

_BAM!_

Or so I thought, because it looks like I'm not alone after all!

"Hyeek!" I scuttled away from the lockers after hearing a loud noise coming from the one right next to mine. The locker was shaking intensely, the noise still as loud as ever. A minute passed before the noise stopped and the door slowly began to open…

_Thud!_

That's when a pale-skinned boy fell onto the floor, not too far from me. He wore a striped black school uniform with a black cap on his head. He was definitely younger than me, because he looked like he was still in high school (while my college-tormented ass graduated like almost five years ago). Though, I probably shouldn't assume that, considering my track record of getting mistaken for someone much younger than I actually am. For all I know, he could be older than me…

_I won't even be fucking surprised if he is._

"Uugh… Uuuuugh…" he groaned out, obviously not feeling so good right now. He lifted his head after a second, his strangely colored eyes staring out at me. They were like a pale, yellowish-gray—kinda like flax. He had  _really_  nice eyelashes, too, like damn—I'm heckin' jealous. And his hair was just as strange as his eyes, being a dark teal color that seems far too realistic to be just regular hair dye.

"Nice wig," I muttered out without even thinking twice about it. A part of me wants to ask where he got his wig as well as his contact lenses, because damn—his cosplay is on point!

_Now who's he supposed to be…?_

Oh man, I think I might be too hungover for this shit, bleeegh…

"Huh?" The boy blinked a few times, his movements quite sluggish. He seemed to be in a daze, not really reacting much to my presence or comment.

_Is he hungover too?_

What the fuck did I do last night and how many people did I drag down with me?

_Don't tell me I got laid…_

If that's the case, then I  _better_  have used protection and we  _better_  be in Vegas, or I will be  _very_  disappointed with my drunken feats, because dammit, I have standards with how I want these things to go while I'm under the influence!

_I don't think we're in Vegas, though…_

A quick look at my surroundings show me that we're anywhere but Vegas. We're in a classroom… _alone_.

…

…

…

_We should leave._

"H-Hey, whoever you are, we should probably get going." I've managed to maintain a spotless record with the law and I would like to keep it that way, for the sake of my future and my financial aid eligibility.

_My broke ass_ _**literally** _ _cannot afford to lose that!_

"Uuuugh…" The boy groaned again, still looking blearily at me through half-lidded eyes. After about a minute or two, he finally regained control of his senses and realized that I was there. That's when his eyes snapped open wide and he yelled out, "Waaaaahhh!"

_Well, hello to you too!_

I watched as he scrambled backwards, trying to get as far away from me as possible. In his panic, he wasn't paying much attention to what was behind him until his back crashed into the inside of the locker. I flinched at the loud noise he made from the impact and nearly cringed when I heard him yelp in pain.

_Shit, is he okay?!_

"H-Hey—I'm not gonna bite!" I immediately tried reassuring him that I meant no harm. He was really freaked out and by the looks of it, on the verge of an anxiety attack. "C'mon, it's okay—you're going to be fine!"

Kinda…I'm mean, he's not dying, so that should count as  _something_!

_Except if he gets any worse, then he'll sure as hell_ _**feel** _ _like he's dying!_

The last thing anyone needs in their day is an anxiety attack and if he loses it, then I might, too, because I do  _not_  have the energy to stay calm right now!

_Fucking do something before it escalates!_

"You have a cute voice, ya know?" That is  _not_  what I wanted to do!

_This is_ _**not** _ _the time to be flirting with people, ya dunderhead!_

"S-Sorry if that came out of nowhere!" Crap, there goes my face! "I-I swear I'm not trying to hit on you—honestly!"

_Abort, abort, abort!_

There was no way I could stay here any longer—I had to go! So I tried to stand up…and immediately regretted it as I was hit with a sudden wave of vertigo. I lasted a total of four seconds before falling flat on my ass.

_Thud!_

"Oww!" Shit, man—how much did I drink last night?! "Uuugh…"

Kinda off topic, but have I always sounded this girly and high-pitched? I mean, it's not like it's a bad thing or anything, but like…what the fuck happened to my voice? This isn't how I usually sound—and I'm sure as hell not sick, because my voice gets hella deep and raspy when I'm sick.

_So what gives?_

"A-Are you okay?!" the boy finally sputtered out a response. His face was cherry-red with a blush, likely because of my earlier comment about his voice.

_I mean, I wasn't lying about it being cute…but I digress._

"I'm fine—just…dizzy." Okay…okay—I might just swear off alcohol after this. Uurp, I'm too much of a lightweight for this… "Sorry about scaring you like that—you're probably just as confused as I am."

"Uh…y-yeah…" The boy tugged down on his cap, his face turning an even darker shade of red. "Actually, I…should be the one apologizing—n-not you. I shouldn't have screamed…"

"Hey man, it's fine!" I waved off his concern. "I'd scream too if I was you."

The reason I haven't is because this fucking hangover is  _killing_  me slowly…

"Okay, no more booze after this…" I placed a hand on my forehead. "Probably for the best…"

_Alcohol is expensive and I do not even wanna know how much money I spent on it last night…_

"H-Huh?" The boy gave me a strange look.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

I never got an answer, because an annoyingly loud group of voices assaulted my ears with, "Oha-kuma~!"

"HYEEK—JESUS CHRIST!" I shrieked loudly as a group of colorful stuffed bears entered my field of vision out of fucking nowhere. There were five of them and they were each a different color, like red, blue, yellow, green, and pink. The red one was wearing a scarf, the blue one had a guitar, the yellow one wore glasses, the green one was a robot (what the ever-loving-fuck?!), and the pink one had a flower.

"Stuffed bears…?" Surprisingly, the boy was calm, while my startled ass kept screaming.

"UWAAAAAA!" The blue bear began screaming back at me, which made me scream even  _louder_. The blue bear had a rather deep and masculine voice, which was the last thing I expected to hear from it!

_Oh, fuck—they're_ _**alive** _ _!_

"You're scaring her, Monokid!" the pink bear lightly scolded the blue bear in a soft and somewhat feminine voice.

"She's scaring  _me_!" he yelled back.

"Well fuck you and whatever it is that's controlling your stupid two-toned ass!" My fear had turned into anger, as it tended to sometimes. I mean, I was still scared, but now I can do something about it—like insulting Monokid (I think that's his name?).

"What did you say?!" Monokid growled loudly as he broke his guitar in two pieces. His mouth was open, showing two rows of sharp, triangular-shaped teeth. Only one half of his mouth had teeth, but that still didn't make him any less unsettling.

_You dun goofed!_

"HIII!" I lost whatever fight I had in me almost immediately. My body was shaking, hot tears beginning to sting my eyes. My heart was pounding so hard within my chest, that it felt like it was going to burst. To make matters worse, my head was beginning to throb painfully from all the screaming I just did. My hangover did  _not_  make it any better… "Uuuuuu…"

_Make it stop, please—it hurts!_

It hurts. It hurts really, really bad.

_Hurts, hurts, it hurtsithurts_ _**ithurtsithurtsithurts** _ _!_

"Son of a bitch!" I curled into a tight ball, the pain hurting far too much for me to handle. It feels like my head is splitting in two! "Aaaugh!"

_Why did I drink so much?!_

"Uuuuuuuuuu…" I'm gonna cry…

_Fuck my life, fuck my life, fuck my life, fuck my life!_

"Akamatsu-san!" Who the hell is  _that_?!

_Is that boy talking to me?_

"Are you okay?!" I don't know when he got so close, but the boy's hands grasp my shoulders so suddenly that it catches me by surprise. I tense up under his touch and nearly scream. "Aahh—s-sorry!"

The boy hesitates for a moment, but his hands remain on my shoulders—his grip firm, yet gentle. He helps me sit up and lets me lean against his chest. It's awkward, but he doesn't seem to mind and the pain is too overwhelming for me to even give a shit.

"It's okay, Akamatsu-san—it's okay!" There's that name again! "You're going to be okay!"

Is that supposed to be my name?

_But that's not my name!_

I  _know_  that's not my name!

_So why…_

Why does it sound so familiar? Like I've known this name my entire life?

_Passionate red maple tree…_

"Akamatsu Kaede…" the name rolls off my tongue so easily, that something just clicks.

_This is your name._

"I'm Akamatsu Kaede…" There's truth behind what I said that feels right. At the same time, it feels so wrong, because—because!

_That's_ _**not** _ _my name!_

It's just  _not_!

_What else could it be if it's not?_

It's…it's…it's…

…

…

_I don't know._

_I don't know I don't know I don't know._

_Don'tknowdon'tknowdon'tknowdon't_ _**knowdon'tknowdon'tknow** _ _!_

Why don't I know?! "Uuuuu…"

_Whywhywhywhywhy?!_

_Why don't I know?!_

_What's my name?_

_Is this…even my body?_

I clenched my teeth through the pain and opened my eyes. I catch a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of my right eye and reach out to harshly tug on it with my left hand. I feel pain from the action, but it's nothing compared to what I'm already feeling. My heart almost stops when I noticed something off about my nails.

They're so neat and short…all of them are, when one of them shouldn't be! I'm missing a cracked nail on my left index finger, which was caused by one of my dogs crunching down on my finger during a visit to the vet.

_This is wrong…_

My skin is pale, when it's supposed to be tan.

_So very,_ _**very** _ _wrong._

And my hair is blonde and straight when it's supposed to dark brown and curly.

_This isn't my body…_

_This isn't me…_

_This…isn't…me._

…

…

"Uuuuwaaaaahhhh!" I cried loud and hard as tears poured down my face. Sobs wracked my body, my breath growing short and choppy. It almost feels as though I'm suffocating because of how hard it is to breathe. My head still hurts and everything feels as though it's falling apart…or maybe it's already fallen apart?

_I want to go home…_

Where am I even?

_I'mscaredI'mscaredI'mscaredI'mscaredI'mscared!_

Why is this happening to me?!

_Helphelphelphelphelphelphelp!_

Why me?!

_Someone—anyone—_ _**help me** _ _!_

I feel arms wrap around my body as I continued to cry. It's that boy again—why is he doing this?

"It's okay, Akamatsu-san." I wanna scream at him that that isn't my name, but all I can do is continue bawling my eyes out. I bury my head into his chest in an attempt to hide my face from everyone in the room. I don't want anyone seeing me like this… I don't even care if it is too late for that. "It's okay—I'm here. I'm…here."

It's pathetic…just crying into the chest of some stranger I just met. I appreciate his comfort, though, if only because it's keeping me grounded. This might not be my body…and I might not remember my name…

But I'm still here.

_You're alive._

I just don't know what to do…

…

…

* * *

Saihara Shuichi tries his best to ignore the Monokubs in the room as he holds Akamatsu Kaede tightly against his chest. He doesn't care if she'll leave a wet spot on his jacket from all the tears she's been shedding. Nor does he care about how close she is to him, when he'd normally feel so awkward and embarrassed. All that he cares about right now is that this is her—this really is her. This is Akamatsu Kaede, the Super High School Level Pianist who always has a deep melody playing in her heart. He feels every movement her body makes as she sobs loudly into his chest. He takes note of the way her body is trembling, making her appear far more vulnerable than she already is.

What he pays close attention to the most is the way he can feel her heart pounding so rapidly within her chest.

_Th-Thump, th-thump!_

_Th-Thump, th-thump!_

Everything about Akamatsu just reminds him of a very important fact that he's notice from the moment he first laid his eyes on her.

" _She's alive…"_  He can't help but smile as the thought repeats itself continuously in his head.  _"She really is…alive."_

A part of him worries that this is all a dream—that he'll just wake up and find that Akamatsu is gone. But as he continues to listen to her heartbeat, his fears begin to lessen as it quickly becomes clear to him that this isn't a dream.

" _This is real…"_  It's such a comforting thought, even though he knows that they're nowhere near safe at this academy. He knows better than to shrug off the memories he has of his classmates' murders and executions. As tempting as it is to pretend that those were just vivid nightmares he had, he knows that he'll have to keep them in mind if he wants to ensure his classmate's survival.

The last thing he ever wants to do is lose Akamatsu again over a crime she never committed.

" _Once was enough…"_  Saihara resists the urge he has to cringe when he recalls Akamatsu's lifeless body hanging above the keys of a giant piano. He still remembers the sickening splatter of blood he heard after the spiked piano cover shut over her motionless body, destroying her corpse.  _"I won't…let it happen again!"_

He just got her back.

"Don't worry, Akamatsu-san—I'm here." He doesn't know how, but he just is. "Everything…Everything is going to be okay."

He'll make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, y'all! This is a fix-it fic with a SI!Kaede and a time-looping Shuichi who only got as far as discovering that Kaede was accused wrongly as the blackened in the first trial. Anything regarding the mastermind's identity is still something he doesn't know because he never got a chance to investigate it any further.
> 
> As for SI!Kaede, or as chat and I like to call her, Siaede—she…is a mess. She's another cold-turkey SI I have, though, unlike my KHUX SI OC, Noa, Siaede does not retain her original body at all. She still isn't aware of who she is just yet because she is  _very_  hungover (and yes, that actually  _is_  a thing and not just a joke about her disorientation with her situation) and not doing so good with her emotional stability. She…needs a moment.
> 
> Thankfully, you have Shuichi on the job! And…yeah, expect the POV change in this chapter to carry over to the next one. There will be POV shifts in this story, but Siaede's will always be in first person. That aside, there's a lot more to come regarding this fic. It functions as an AU with a lot of different factors, which I'll explain when I get to them. Until then, this is as much as I'll say for the time being.
> 
> Anyone who has been watching my DRV3 streams should have an idea of what to expect. Speaking of which, huge shout-outs to everyone in the twitch chat during these streams!
> 
> Shout-outs:  **Benven99** ,  **Arbitually** ,  **JosephineSilver**  (aka,  **memoriesofpurelight** / **sealingdesigneejosephine** , [who made an  _awesome_  cover for this fic!](https://memoriesofpurelight.tumblr.com/post/165923650148/klonoadreams-is-planning-one-of-the-most-meta)),  **Shiraki_Nagi** ,  **StrawburrieSlushie** ,  **PartyFavors** ,  **Alicitzen** ,  **Grim Izanagi** ,  **Qwertyshuman** ,  **a-dolphin-cubed** ,  **logicallyinlogical** ,  **MonochromaticEclipse**
> 
> Thank you guys so much for showing up to my streams! It really means a lot, especially to those who know me through the fanfiction I've written! We had a lot of fun times, as well as a lot of bad times during these streams—like us losing our favorite characters one by fucking one, me crying multiple times on stream, or my SHSL Good (Bad) Luck kicking in.
> 
> By the by, I'll be sticking with Super High School Level as opposed to Ultimate and referring everyone by their surnames, because that's honestly what I'm used to after DR1 and DR2. I've also been playing with the Japanese voices, too, because reasons. So like…expect certain things to carry over from the Japanese voices, like Shuichi having a feminine voice and the Monokubs saying "Oha-kuma!" instead of "Rise and shine, ursine!" The latter is mostly for personal reasons, as well as the fact that typing out "Rise and shine, ursine" is something I refuse to do because of how often it is fucking said. I'm not saying I hate it, because fucking hell, localization did a good job with translating that!
> 
> Like, Oha-kuma is basically ohayō and kuma combined, with ohayō being a greeting you use  _only_  in the morning (you wouldn't say good morning to someone in the afternoon—that's what konnichiwa is for). So with "Rise and shine, ursine", it just FITS so well and it also rhymes! That being said, I do not have the energy to stick with "Rise and shine, ursine" to the very end. I will die if I try.
> 
> Moving on, I eventually plan on streaming DR1 in November so that I can get back into the groove of writing my fem!Naegi fic,  _You've Got That Wrong!_  Trust me when I say that I have felt the urge to write for the fic again, thanks to the DRV3 streams I've been doing, as well as the support I've gotten after I posted up an update regarding my situation on why I haven't updated that fic in a while. So I decided it might be a good idea to do a fanfiction run, as I have done with  _Persona 5_  for my fem!Joker fic,  _Jamais Vu_. Lots of ideas were thrown around during those streams, so I'm hoping the DR1 stream will do the same and help me get back to writing more for  _You've Got That Wrong!_
> 
> So if any of you guys are interested in participating during those streams, I'd suggest you keep an eye out for my streams at [my twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/klonoadreams). Fair warning, I AM loud and I DO swear a lot. I get emotional quite easily and laugh a lot (rather loudly at that), so I hope you guys don't mind!
> 
> That's about it for now, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! We're just getting started, so expect a lot more to come! Until next time, everyone! 


	2. Duet

Eventually, Akamatsu calms down. The tears haven't stopped and neither has her trembling, but she's no longer sobbing. Saihara can feel her body convulsing each time she hiccups. Her breath hitches sharply a few times and he reacts by gently tightening his embrace. He tries his best to keep her grounded, feeling concerned that she might break down again.

"I'm here," he continues telling her, his smile never once leaving his face as he looks down at her. His face contorts into a scowl when he hears laughter in the background. He lifts his head, his eyes narrowing angrily at the group of stuffed bears in the room. "What do you want?"

He tries not to sound too hostile and focuses on assessing the situation. This is the same classroom where he first met Akamatsu Kaede…and the Monokubs. Monokid laughs his usually creepy laugh while Monotaro goes about playing with his shuriken. Monophanie pretends that she isn't staring and Monodam is as quiet as ever. Only Monosuke is looking at him and Akamatsu with any particular interest as he messes around with his abacus.

"By any chance, do youse bastards know who we are?" It's a simple question that raises a lot of red flags in Saihara's head when he stops to actually think about it.

Yes, he does know who they are…but is he supposed to?

…

"N-No—I don't." He lies out of necessity for the situation. "Should I?"

Even without the possible risk of death, Saihara has never felt so anxious telling a lie before. A droplet of sweat rolls down the side of his face as he stares at the Monokubs. He tries to stay calm—for both his and Akamatsu's sake. He can't let anyone know about the memories he has.

" _Not now…"_  Saihara still needs to know if anyone else is alive like Akamatsu. Their situation hasn't changed much by the looks of it, though from what he can tell so far…  _"This is when we met for the first time, when_ _ **they**_ _showed up…"_

All that's really changed is how he and Akamatsu have interacted so far. Unlike before, it is Saihara who is the stronger of the two and not Akamatsu. It confuses him, but he supposes that he isn't in any position to complain—not that he has any reason to actually complain in the first place. After all, things could be far worse.

"So…" Saihara nervously licks his lips. "Who…are you—and what do you want?"

He tries not to stutter and barely manages to keep his voice steady. His blood runs cold when he hears Monokid's ominous laughter, which sounds far too amused for comfort. He swallows hard and prepares for the worst…

"Yaaaayyy! It worked!" It never comes, though, as Monotaro instead celebrates what seems to be a grand success for him and the others.

"Of course it worked." Monosuke adjusts his glasses.

"What other reason would there be for it to not work?" Monophanie tilts her head to the side in question.

"…" Monodam remains silent, his expression still blank as ever.

"This calls for a celebration!" Monokid plays a few loud notes on his guitar—which is in surprisingly good condition, despite having broken it into two pieces just minutes ago.

Akamatsu chokes back a startled shriek, likely as a result of Monokid's sudden loudness not doing her enhanced hearing any favors. Saihara can only reassure her that it's nothing she should worry about…even though he knows better than to say that. He still says it anyways, resisting the urge he has to tell Monokid to shut up.

It seems to work for a moment…but then Akamatsu finds the resolve to flip Monokid off, consequences be damned.

"A-Akamatsu-san!" Saihara's face grows red as he immediately grabs Akamatsu's hand to stop her. This only encourages her to use her other hand to repeat the same gesture she made at Monokid. "Please stop!"

Saihara doesn't ever recall seeing Akamatsu act so hostile in such a particular manner, considering that vulgar is the last word he'd ever use to describe her. And yet, here she is…acting so bold through her bursts of anger and frustration.

" _I suppose everyone has their limits…"_  Saihara sighs, relieved that Monokid hasn't done anything to worsen the situation. Although, it takes him a few seconds to realize that Akamatsu is averting her gaze, violet eyes refusing to even look in his direction. He blinks once…then twice, and then a third time, before it finally dawns on him why Akamatsu might not want to look at him.

His hands are holding right onto hers. How… _awkward_.

"Ummm…!" He coughs a few times, trying not to seem too bothered by their current situation…only for his face to turn a darker shade of red about five seconds later. Droplets of sweat roll down the sides of his face as he hears the Monokubs laugh in the background. They're sure enjoying this…  _"Dammit!"_

It's annoying, but there isn't much Saihara can do—not yet, at least.

"Well, we've wasted enough time on youse bastards." Monosuke adjusts his glasses as he holds up a handful of cash for Akamatsu and Saihara to see. It's paper money that possesses the printed images of dual-colored bears instead of people. "Let's just skip the formalities and get on with it, yeah?"

"We're the Monokubs!" Monokid suddenly blurts out, effectively disregarding Monosuke's comment.

"I'm Monotaro!" Monotaro plays along, urging Monophanie to join as well. There's a slight pause when they turn to Monodam, who remains silent.

"…" Monodam shyly averts his gaze, not even flinching once when Monokid loudly boasts about the bullying he's inflicted on the green, robotic-looking bear.

A minute passes and Monosuke sighs impatiently.

"That's Monodam—he doesn't talk much." Monosuke puts away his money. "And I'm Monosuke—don't you go forgettin' it!"

"That'd be bad!" Monophanie remarks a bit too happily. "Like forgetting your own talent!"

"You mean they forgot their talents?!" Monokid jumps to a random conclusion, his stubby hands (paws?) covering his face in shock.

"Hey, heeeey—do you remember your talent?" Monotaro asks Saihara, giving him an inquisitive look.

"R-Remember…my talent?" Saihara repeats with some uncertainty. He doesn't recall ever being asked by the Monokubs about his talent. Although, he supposes enough has changed from what he last remembers to prompt such a question. "O-Of course I do…I'm the Super High School Level Detective."

He's not as insecure as he was initially, but he still feels just as uncertain—for various reasons. That's when he notices that Akamatsu is staring at him with such wide, frightened eyes. His stomach churns uncomfortably, his mouth growing dry. He recognizes that look on her face—it's one that he can never forget. He's seen it before, just seconds before she was taken away from him to her execution. He still remembers reaching out for her, only for her hand to slip away from his…

"A-Akamatsu-san?" Saihara feels his heart sink when he sees tears splashing down her face. "H-Hey—it's okay! D-Don't cry, please…"

It really hurts to see her cry…

"You're not Kirigiri…" she blubbers out, hiccupping afterwards.

"Wh-Who…?" Saihara has no idea who that even is. "A-Are you okay?"

"Nooo!" Akamatsu wails. "'m a pianist…"

"That's not something you should cry about!" Monophanie says. "Be proud of your talent!"

"I dun wanna hear it from your fake-ass…" Akamatsu sniffs. "So shaddup…"

"Ehhh?!" Monophanie clearly wasn't expecting such a response from Akamatsu, that it got Monokid laughing so boisterously.

"I wanna go home!" Akamatsu continues crying. "Waaahhhhh…"

Droplets of sweat roll down the sides of Saihara's face as he stares at Akamatsu.  _"Just…what happened?"_

"Ehh, why would you want to go home?" Monotaro tilts his head to the side. He pulls out his shuriken and holds them up high. "This is the Gifted Inmates Academy!"

"It's a school created specifically for you sixteen bastards!" Monophanie says in a disturbingly cheery tone.

"And just like the name implies, this is a school for those with exceptional talent," Monosuke states. "So it ain't a coincidence that you both have Super High School Level talents. I'd recommend introducing yourselves to the rest of 'em, since you'll soon being doing an activity together."

"Hell yeah!" Monokid yells, causing Akamatsu to flinch again due to how harsh his voice is on her ears. "I've got a rager right now!"

"Have fun looking for them!" Monotaro says before anyone has a chance to react to Monokid's comment.

The Monokubs take their leave after that, but not before shouting, "Bye-kuma!"

…

…

"S-Sorry…!" Saihara's face heats up with a blush when he finally releases Akamatsu's hands from his grasp. He tugs down on his cap, quickly averting his gaze. "I'm…sorry…"

"…" Akamatsu doesn't respond.

Saihara frowns, but says nothing about it. If she doesn't want to talk, then he won't force her to talk. If she wants to be alone… "I'm going to give you some space now, okay?"

He'll let her be alone.

"Take as long as you need—I'll be waiting for you outside of the classroom." He can wait as long as he needs to wait…

"P-Pl…P-Please…"

But he never does.

"D-Don't…Don't go."

He never does because he doesn't have to. When Saihara moves to get up, he feels a slight tug on his sleeve. He turns his head and sees Akamatsu staring at him with pleading eyes, her fingers grasping his sleeve.

"Y-You… _hic_!" A rosy blush dusts her cheeks after a small hiccup escapes her mouth. She looks away momentarily and uses her free hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes. Afterwards, she forces herself to look at Saihara again and for a brief moment, their eyes meet.

"A-Akamatsu-san…" Saihara suppresses the urge he has to tug down on his cap again, so that he can hide his eyes from view. He's not uncomfortable, just…embarrassed. A telltale blush spreads across his face after he sees Akamatsu's gaze shift downwards.

It seems she's just as embarrassed as he is…

"S-Sorry…" he finds himself apologizing.

"Y-Y-Youuu…" she says again, her voice incredibly unsteady. She exhales shakily, her grip growing tighter on his sleeve. "Youuuu kn-know me…r-r-right?"

That…is the last question that Saihara was expecting Akamatsu to ask him. He opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Just silence…

"I…d-don't know where I-I am." Akamatsu hiccups again, much louder than before. "If th-this is even real…i-i-is it? Hey…wh-who are you?"

He says nothing again, still unable to find his voice. His heart aches when he sees tears falling freely from her eyes. She looks so fragile, as though she might shatter with just one touch.

And when she speaks, she sounds so alarmingly quiet. "I'm s-s-scared…really, really  _scared_."

To see her like this terrifies him…

"I'm scared too." Saihara isn't afraid to admit it. "I don't know what's going on, but…I'm here, okay?"

He isn't alone…and neither is she.

"I'm Saihara Shuichi, the Super High School Level Detective." Saihara smiles at Akamatsu when he finishes introducing himself. "It's nice to meet you."

It feels so bittersweet to say that to her, because this isn't their first meeting…but she doesn't know that, so it might as well be.

"'m…Akamatsu Kaede…" Akamatsu sounds so uncertain when she introduces herself, as though she isn't too sure of who she is herself. "And I guess I'm…the Super High School Level Pianist."

There's a pause there that Saihara notices, but he doesn't say anything about it. Rather, he focuses his attention on something else that Akamatsu had said.

"You guess, huh?" There is a sense of déjà vu that Saihara experiences…but he soon notices that the roles are reversed here. It's strange, but…  _"She might just be disoriented…"_

He still feels somewhat off himself, so he won't press her for any answers.

"Umm…" Akamatsu wipes her eyes again on the back of her sleeve. "Can you…help me? I…don't know if I can get up."

…

"Oh…I—yeah." Saihara nods his head. "I can do that, but first…"

He pauses for a moment, his hand reaching up for his cap. He takes a deep breath and slowly, he begins to remove his cap. His heart is pounding, and his hands are clammy, but he doesn't stop. He keeps going until his cap is completely off.

"A-Ahoge…" he hears Akamatsu say.

Saihara laughs, finding it funny for Akamatsu to say that when she has an ahoge of her own. It's so funny, that it's rather sad when he remembers that he never had a chance to take off his cap in front of Akamatsu…

" _But not this time…"_  Because she's already seen him without his cap and soon, so will everyone else. And he is completely fine with that, because… "I don't need this anymore."

As comforting as it has been to have his cap back, he knows that it won't do him any good to keep it around. He has long since moved past some of his old habits…he's certain of that.

"You can have it, Akamatsu-san," Saihara says with a smile on his face. There is no hesitation when he places his cap on Akamatsu's head, but then he feels her fingertips brush against his as he's adjusting the cap. He pulls away, still not used to being touched so suddenly. "Ah…"

"Is it…really fine?" Akamatsu looks shyly at him, her eyes hidden by the cap's brim. "I can actually have it?"

Saihara notices immediately how vastly Akamatsu's mood has improved. She sounds a lot happier instead of scared. She even seems a bit eager to hear his response…

"It's for you to keep, Akamatsu-san," he assures her.

"Really?!" This time, she looks directly at him with a wide smile on her face. "Thank you, Shuichi!"

And just like that, Saihara loses whatever control he had on his composure. His face turns a dark shade of red in response to hearing his name being said without any honorifics. His heart is pounding hard within his chest, and his face is burning from embarrassment.

"Wh-What's wrong? Did…something happen?" Akamatsu is completely oblivious to what she just did…for about a minute. Then it hits her so suddenly and her face turns just as red as Saihara's. She releases his sleeve and backs away, putting some distance between the two of them. "Aaahh, sorry—I didn't mean to be so forward or rude! Should I call you Saihara-kun instead?!"

Saihara sputters, not knowing how to react. With the exception of his own family, he's never had anyone else refer to him by his first name without any honorifics. To hear it coming from Akamatsu makes him feel so… _shy_.

"I-It's fine!" he eventually says, beads of sweat rolling down his face. He laughs awkwardly as he tries his best to calm Akamatsu, who continues to apologize to him. "I don't mind!"

That's a lie.

"Y-You can call me whatever you want!" he insists.

It's a lie, because Saihara  _does_  mind. He minds because he  _knows_  he won't be able to remain calm if he hears Akamatsu saying his name without any honorifics. He's not used to such familiarity, especially from someone like her. It's rather embarrassing.

And yet, at the same time…

_Ba-dump!_

" _It's nice…"_  Saihara finds himself smiling.

Akamatsu tugs down on her cap to hide her blushing face. "Umm…if that's the case—then call me whatever you like, too. I-I-If you w-w-want."

She quickly turns into a stammering mess and starts apologizing profusely for making things so awkward. She looks away, feeling far too bashful to even look in Saihara's direction. Saihara can only laugh to ease some of his nerves.

…

A few minutes pass and Saihara finally gets up. He adjusts his clothes first before walking over to Akamatsu, who is still avoiding his gaze. He clears his throat a few times to get her attention and holds out his hand when she turns her head.

"You needed help, right?" Saihara isn't sure if she still needs help, so he asks to make sure.

Akamatsu doesn't say anything to him, but she does grab onto his outstretched hand. Saihara pulls her up and helps her stand. He has some difficulty at first, because of how wobbly her legs are. He manages though, and after a couple of minutes, Akamatsu is standing right on her feet.

"Thank you," she tells him. She's smiling again, as if nothing is wrong…even though she's still holding onto his hand.

Saihara tries to ignore it, thinking that she'll let go on her own. He soon realizes that that isn't the case when he takes a step forward and her hand is still holding onto his. A light blush dusts his cheeks as he turns to look at her. "A-Akamatsu-san?"

Akamatsu releases his hand without saying a word. She tugs down on her cap's brim to hide her eyes. She tries to laugh it off, but stops herself after a couple of seconds. Her laughter sounds so forced and weak that she decides it's a waste of time to even try hiding her embarrassment. She breathes in deeply, then slowly exhales.

"Should we…should we go?" she asks.

"Y…Yeah." Saihara runs his fingers through his hair. They still have to meet the others… "I'll lead the way."

"Okay." Akamatsu only nods her head.

…

The hallway to the second floor looks exactly how Saihara last recalls it, minus all the debris he had to go through after Kiibo went on a rampage. It's empty, though—and when he looks around, he doesn't see a certain blue-haired cosplayer standing by the statue of a dragon. Her absence puzzles him, but he supposes that he can't predict everything.

Saihara looks over his shoulder at Akamatsu to check up on her. She's been rather silent since they left the classroom. He's not sure if she's upset or just not in the mood to talk. He almost regrets giving her his cap, because it's a lot harder to read her expressions when he can't see her face well.

" _But she likes it…"_  So Saihara guesses that he'll just have to deal with it. "There doesn't seem to be anyone else here, so let's go downstairs."

They have a lot of people to introduce themselves to—all of whom are  _alive_.

" _Just like Akamatsu-san…"_  A small smile forms on his lips as he thinks that. It'll be nice to see Momota Kaito again… "Huh?"

While he was deep in thought, Akamatsu had walked up to him and just now, her hand wrapped around his. It's the last thing he expects and it happens so suddenly, that he can't help but scream.

"Wahhh!" He tries to pull away, but Akamatsu's grip is surprisingly strong. "A-Akamatsu-san!"

"I…I'm sorry!" Akamatsu quickly apologizes to him. "I didn't mean to scare you, but…can I—can I hold your hand?"

…

…

"Eeehh?!" A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of Saihara's face as he looks at Akamatsu.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!" Akamatsu stutters nervously, her body beginning to shake. "B-But I'm…still scared…and I…I…I'm sorry…"

_Th-Thump, th-thump!_

He can hear her heart pounding within her chest. Her trembling only worsens, and it sounds like she could start crying at any second. Her breathing grows erratic and it begins to dawn on him that it might be more than just fear…

" _An anxiety attack…?"_  He remembers almost having one himself earlier, when he fell out of the locker and saw that Akamatsu was alive. He was terrified that it was just another cruel nightmare—that at any given second, he was going to see her die all over again. But then Akamatsu started to cry and he realized far too quickly that he couldn't leave her alone—dream or no dream.

It's the same situation all over again, except this time…Akamatsu is reaching out to him for help.

…

"You don't have to apologize—it's fine." Saihara gives Akamatsu's hand a reassuring squeeze and smiles at her. He's not sure if she can see his face underneath that cap, but he continues smiling anyways. "You just surprised me. That's all…"

"S-S-Sorry…" she apologizes again in such a quiet voice. "I didn't m-mean…"

"It's fine!" Saihara insists, trying his best to ease some of Akamatsu's concerns. "Just warn me next time, okay?"

"O…Okay…" She sounds a lot calmer now, but is still somewhat on edge. She breathes in and out a few times, trying her best to keep her breathing under control. It takes her a minute, but she manages. That's when she looks at Saihara and says, "L-Let's go."

Saihara blinks once and then smiles. "Y-Yeah…"

On the way downstairs, Saihara chokes back a scream when Akamatsu suddenly interlocks her fingers with his. It comes so naturally to her, that she doesn't notice anything wrong about it until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Slowly, it begins to dawn on her that her handholding had grown quite intimate. A luminescent blush spreads across her face as she forcefully tugs on down on her cap with her free hand.

Despite her embarrassment, Akamatsu doesn't let go—she continues holding onto Saihara's hand, their fingers still intertwined. They stop walking for the moment, staying still at the bottom of the stairs. After a few minutes pass, they start walking again, deciding that there's not much that they could do about their position now that it's happened. It'll be awkward whether or not they keep holding hands like this…

At least, that's what Saihara keeps trying to tell himself as he pushes away the memory he has of Akamatsu reacting so nonchalantly to him when he admitted that he had seen up her skirt.

As the two take a left and disappear down the hallway, a girl their age with long, blue hair and glasses descends from the second floor. She walks slowly down the stairs, feeling absolutely no need to be in any hurry. When she finally reaches the bottom of the stairs, she stops walking to adjust her glasses. Afterwards, she laughs to herself and starts making her way in the direction that Akamatsu and Saihara had gone in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone it's like almost 5 am and I'm still in the midst of finishing a take-home exam that's due in like a few hours, but HERE! Have this chapter, because I wanted to get it up as soon as possible!
> 
> By the way, fuck the Monokubs—you have them to blame for why it took so long to finish this chapter. Like, seriously, I just… _hate_  them. I've never noticed how much I tuned them out while I was playing the game until I sat down and tried to write about them. Jesus  _fuck_ , they are total scrappies!
> 
> But enough about that, how about that handholding, huh? Yeah, thanks to image sharing on the Clair de Lune discord, it was agreed that handholding was going to be a thing. The last scene in this chapter was actually based on some very cute fanart I found about [Saihara and Akamatsu](http://pm1.narvii.com/6376/d993d296d2ecbc8ad189662ec8abd93f10d026d6_hq.jpg). Very sweet~!
> 
> Moving on, again, reminder that Saihara only knows that Akamatsu was wrongly accused as the blackened. He hasn't had a chance to investigate the identity of the mastermind any further, but  _do_ expect him to keep an eye out for them.
> 
> By the by, I should mention that this IS a everyone lives/no one dies AU (if the tag didn't already say so). So rejoice, for you shall not lose your favorite characters! But again, there's more to this fic than what has already been shown, with Siaede and a time-looping Saihara. I still won't say what it is until we get there, which could happen in the next chapter!
> 
> And a reminder, I  _do_  plan on streaming DR1 in November on my twitch channel, [klonoadreams](https://www.twitch.tv/klonoadreams), to help me get back to writing  _You've Got That Wrong_! In the meantime, I will be doing some Halloween streams with horror games (I'm currently doing a hard-mode run of  _Haunting Ground_ ) and finishing up DRV3, since I only just started the Talent Development Plan (which is amazingly  _fun_ ).
> 
> And thank you guys so much for taking the time to comment, it really does mean a lot to me as it helps motivate me to keep writing!! So feel free to say anything that's on your mind, so long as it isn't about updates!!
> 
> That's about it for now! Until next time, everyone! 


	3. Cycle

The first person Saihara and Akamatsu come across is Amami Rantarou. He still looks exactly the same as Saihara remembers, with an appearance that makes one think of a playboy. He is taller than the both of them, with tan skin and wears an outfit that is rather casual in comparison to theirs. He has light green hair green and similarly colored eyes framed by long, thick eyelashes that add to his charm. He smiles at them as he waves his hand.

"Yo!" he greets them, his voice sounding just as carefree as ever. "You guys get kidnapped too?"

There is no response, just silence…

Amami huffs a laugh and shakes his head. "I guess it should be obvious…but at least you both look okay."

"Y-Yeah…" Saihara forces himself to smile. He tries to ignore the vivid memory he has of Amami and the way his skull was caved in with a shotput. It's difficult, because it was his death that started it all…

"Well…this is different." Amami is no longer smiling, his gaze focused on both Akamatsu and Saihara. Without much warning, he takes a few steps towards them, closing whatever distance there was between them.

"Umm…" Saihara tries to keep his cool when Akamatsu suddenly squeezes down on his hand. Her grip is somewhat painful, but it's nothing he can't handle. "Wh-What do you…mean?"

Amami blinks a few times and smiles. "Well, you've both still got a free hand…think I can get in on this action?"

He doesn't wait for a response, choosing to instead reach out and grab onto both Saihara's and Akamatsu's free hand.

"Ama—!" Saihara chokes back a scream as his face is set ablaze with a blush. He sputters and stammers, unable to form a coherent sentence. His blush only darkens when Amami starts to laugh.

"Expressive, aren't we?" Amami asks, his smile never once leaving his face.

Saihara responds by averting his gaze, clearly having enough of Amami's strange antics. He has no idea how Akamatsu can stay so calm, since he hasn't heard anything from her at all. Her silence concerns him somewhat, though before he has a chance to investigate, Amami suddenly leans forward and whispers into his ear, "How much do you remember, Saihara Shuichi-kun?"

"Huh…?!" It's not a question that Saihara expects.

Amami pulls away after that, leaving Saihara to his thoughts. He then shifts his attention to Akamatsu, a small chuckle leaving his mouth at the sight he sees. He notices that she's interlocked his fingers with hers and decides to give her hand a sudden squeeze. "Having fun?"

"…!" Akamatsu freezes still for a moment, but she doesn't say a thing. A few seconds pass before she continues to look over Amami's hand. She seems especially interested in the rings he wears on his fingers, as well as the bracelet around his wrist. When Amami squeezes her hand again, Akamatsu squeezes back.

Saihara can only watch them in confusion as he thinks over the question that Amami had asked him. It takes him a couple of minutes before it suddenly hits him, his eyes widening in shock.

" _I never introduced myself…"_  And yet, Amami seems to already know who he is…  _"Just…what is going on?"_

"I'm Amami Rantarou!" Amami introduces himself to Akamatsu. "I don't remember my talent…but I assure you, I'm not a suspicious guy!"

"I'm Akamatsu Kaede." There's no pause this time when Akamatsu introduces herself. "I'm the Super High School Level Pianist…n-nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Akamatsu-san!" Amami flashes Akamatsu a bright smile before looking at Saihara. "Say, you don't mind if borrow him for a second…yeah?"

…

…

Droplets of sweat roll down the sides of Saihara's face as he stares at Amami. He's not sure what is going on, but at the moment, they're inside the boy's restroom. He was reluctant to leave Akamatsu out in the hallway, but Amami said that he just wanted to talk to him in secret. Though, before the door closed behind him, Saihara could've sworn he heard a barely audible, "Gay."

" _Was that Akamatsu-san?"_  Saihara doesn't have too much time to think over it before Amami repeats his question again.

"How much do you remember?" he asks, his arms crossed over his chest. "Don't bother lying, because I know you know more than you probably should."

It's quite disturbing to hear Amami saying stuff like that so… _casually_. He's treating it as though it's nothing so serious, even though it is.

"You…you…" Saihara grits his teeth and looks away. He can't ignore the memories he has of Amami and the bloody shotput that was used to kill him… "You  _died_ , Amami-kun…"

"…" Amami stares blankly at Saihara, his mouth parted slightly in shock. It takes him a moment to process the information he's been given. Then, with a smile on his face, he shrugs it all off so carelessly. "Ahh, so that's what happened."

…

"How can you be so calm?!" Saihara blurts out, his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions. He tries to blink back the hot tears stinging his eyes, but to no avail. He chokes back a sob as he furiously wipes at his face using the back of his sleeve. His body won't stop shaking and the tears—they just keep coming. "How—?!"

Saihara trails off, stunned completely into silence when Amami suddenly wraps his arms around him in an embrace. He blinks a few times and opens his mouth to say something, but all that comes out is a strangled sob. And that's all it takes for him to lose what little control he had left on his emotions.

He buries his face into Amami's chest and screams. He screams and screams and screams, his hands clinging tightly onto Amami's shirt. Eventually, his screams dissolve into sobs as tears stream down his face.

"Y-Y-You diiiied…!" he cries out, his voice somewhat muffled by Amami's shirt. "A-A-And th-then A-Akamatsu-san…"

He remembers it all too vividly, his speech growing incomprehensible as he rambles on and on about everyone who had died.

"You must have been terrified, yeah?" Amami's voice is soft, and his fingers are gentle as they run through Saihara's hair.

…

…

* * *

Amami Rantarou hadn't planned on reaching out to anyone…but then he saw Saihara without his cap. He wasn't at all surprised to see Akamatsu at Saihara's side, but he didn't expect to see her wearing his cap nor acting so… _reserved_. He doesn't recall Akamatsu ever acting this way, as he still remembers the outgoing girl who was trying her hardest to get Saihara out of his shell.

" _What happened?"_  It was as though Akamatsu and Saihara had switched personalities… But Amami knows that isn't the case—he knows there has to be more to it.

So he took the risk and asked Saihara a question that only someone who remembers can answer. At worst, he'd only have to deal with Saihara thinking of him as a stranger who happens to know his name. At best…

" _At best…"_  Amami isn't alone this time. It's a comforting thought—one that he shares with Saihara. "You're not alone."

…

It takes about ten minutes for Saihara to finally calm down. He is somewhat of a hiccupping mess as Amami continues to rub his back in comforting, circular motions. He's doing a lot better now, so Amami decides that now is a good time as any to answer a question of Saihara's.

"This isn't my first time," he says, earning himself a puzzled look from Saihara. He laughs it off, not knowing what else to do. Saihara's situation is just much too unique from what he's used to. "But…it certainly seems to be yours."

Saihara doesn't have the chance to ask what he means by that as a shrill scream suddenly catches their attention.

"A…Akamatsu-san!" Saihara is the first to react, having recognized whom it was that had screamed. He breaks out of Amami's comforting embrace and takes a moment to wipe his face on the back of his sleeve before rushing over to the door. "Akamatsu-san!"

Amami reacts nearly a minute after, his thoughts having distracted him momentarily. He forgets the exact number of times he's been through this, but he knows that there has never been a time when the killings began before the rules have been established. Regardless of what can change, there are some things that will always remain the same. Of course, Saihara doesn't know that…

" _He has a lot to learn."_  Amami runs his hand through his hair and sighs. He's not sure how long he'll be able to stick around this time. At the very least, he hopes it's long enough to help Saihara out.  _"Maybe this time…I'll actually try to survive."_

* * *

…

…

When Saihara leaves the restroom, he expects to see the absolute worst. Instead, he just sees Shirogane Tsumugi apologizing profusely to Akamatsu for accidentally scaring her. Akamatsu doesn't really say anything, choosing to instead remain silent as she tugs down on her cap. She averts her gaze each time Shirogane tries to look at her, though this only seems to encourage Shirogane to continue.

"Hey, I'm Shirogane Tsumugi, the Super High School Level Cosplayer!" Unlike last time, Shirogane sounds a lot more enthusiastic when she introduces herself to Akamatsu. She's just as quick to ramble on about her favorite episodes of  _Doraemon_  and  _Kitiretsu_ , even though Akamatsu would rather she didn't. "What about you? Do you have a favorite series?"

Saihara doesn't expect Akamatsu to answer Shirogane. In fact, he's prepared to intervene in case Shirogane continues pestering Akamatsu. So it catches him completely by surprise when Akamatsu actually  _gives_  Shirogane an answer.

" _Berserk_ …" Akamatsu manages to surprise not only Saihara, but Shirogane as well.

"R-Really?" A droplet of sweat rolls down the side of Shirogane's face. "I wouldn't have expected someone so soft-looking to like something so… _dark_."

Akamatsu sputters a few times. "I-I-I…I also l-l-li-like  _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_!"

"Ahh, is that so?" Shirogane smiles at Akamatsu, taking a moment to adjust her glasses. "I would've expected something like  _Your Lie in April_ , but…I suppose this is fine, too. So what's your favorite part?"

Akamatsu sputters again, likely too flustered to continue speaking to Shirogane. She takes a quick look around the hallway, looking immensely relieved to see Saihara. "Sh-Shuichi!"

_Ba-dump!_

Saihara feels his face heating up with a blush. He doesn't expect Akamatsu to say his name like that so soon—not after the way she reacted. And yet, he still doesn't mind, despite how shy it makes him feel. A smile tugs at his lips when he sees Akamatsu's face turn a dark shade of red.

" _She just noticed."_  Saihara laughs nervously as he moves aside, allowing Akamatsu to run past him without any issues as she made her way towards the boy's restroom. He doesn't even question why she would want to go into the boy's restroom when the girl's restroom is right there.  _"She's probably too embarrassed to notice…"_

After all, there is only so much that she can hide with that cap… Unfortunately, her timing couldn't have been any worse as, at that moment, Amami opens the restroom door. He barely has any time to react before Akamatsu crashes into him, her weight managing to knock him off balance. He stumbles back a few steps before falling onto his back, the back of his head nearly slamming onto the tiled floor. A pained groan escapes his mouth when his body involuntarily cushions Akamatsu's fall as she lands right on top of him.

" _She's a lot heavier than she looks…"_  Amami finds himself thinking as he tries to sit up, Akamatsu's weight giving him some difficulty.

"Are you okay?!" Saihara is quick to ask, looking at the two of them with concern. He hadn't expected all that to happen so quickly…

"I'm fine…" Amami groans out. "Just…give me a minute to catch my breath."

Akamatsu managed to knock the wind right out of him…

"S-Sorry…" she murmurs, sounding rather dazed.

"It's fine!" Amami is quick to reassure her. He gives her a few pats on the back to show that he isn't at all upset with her. Sure, it hurt, but it's not like he's dead… "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" There's a bit of uncertainty in her voice, but Amami chooses not to question it—not now, at least. He'll wait until they're both off the floor…

"Oh my—did she capture a flag?" Shirogane adjusts her glasses as she looks at the scene before her with great interest. "I'm Shirogane Tsumugi, the Super High School Level Cosplayer, by the way—and you are…?"

Their introductions are a lot more awkward this time around, with the way Shirogane fixes such an inquisitive gaze on all three of them. Fortunately, she doesn't stick around too long after that, as she only wanted to learn their names.

"I haven't found any exits yet, in case you're wondering," Shirogane says. "But I'll make sure to keep an eye out for any. You three should do the same, okay?"

"Okay." Saihara nods his head.

Shirogane seems quite satisfied after that. She thanks them for putting up with her "plainness" (to which Amami had to cover Akamatsu's mouth to muffle a, "Bullshit!") and then takes her leave, soon disappearing out of sight down the hallway. As soon as Saihara is sure that no one else is in the area, he enters the boy's restroom and shuts the door.

"So…" Amami starts. "Where do we go from there?"

"I think we should get Akamatsu-san out of the boy's restroom." It was easy to dismiss it when she was flustered as hell, but now… It was starting to get a bit awkward, if only because  _Akamatsu is_ _ **still**_ _on top of Amami_.

"Dude, it's just a restroom." Akamatsu looks at him with an annoyed expression on her face.

"She's got a point," Amami finds himself agreeing.

Saihara resists the urge he has to face palm then. "Dammit, Amami-kun—you're supposed to be on my side for this!"

"I am…but it's not just about you, y'know." Amami gives Akamatsu a reassuring smile as he pats her on the head a few times. "Akamatsu-san is with us, yeah?"

It takes a moment for Saihara to realize what Amami means by that. "Oh… _yeah_."

Whatever it is they were talking about earlier—it's just between the two of them for now. There is a lot more that Amami knows, but so long as Akamatsu is with them, he can't say anything just yet.

"You feel like getting up yet?" Amami doesn't mind if Akamatsu chooses to stay like this, though he'd prefer it if they'd find someplace more… _appropriate_  than the restroom floor. "Hey, Saihara-kun—a little help?"

Saihara sighs and walks over to help Akamatsu get off of Amami. It takes some effort, as Akamatsu has difficulty standing up yet again. Her head seems to be hurting, too…

"Did you hit your head?" Saihara asks.

"No—just a headache." Akamatsu clutches her head in her hands. "A really,  _really_  bad one…uuugh…"

"I think we might be able to find some medicine in the warehouse," Amami states after taking a look at the map on his Monopad. "It should be by the dining hall, which is just over there…follow me."

Amami gets off the floor, taking a moment to smooth out any wrinkles on his clothes. His shirt is still somewhat damp from Saihara's tears, but that's something he can deal with. He knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to comfort Saihara. It's just something that comes naturally to him.

He knows when to stay quiet, which is why he hasn't ask Akamatsu about her hangover—it just doesn't seem right to bring attention to that. It would raise too many questions and from what he can tell so far, it isn't just Saihara who has changed, but also Akamatsu. The reasons, however, differ from Saihara and himself. Amami still hasn't figured out what it is that set them apart from her, but from what he can tell so far…

This isn't the same Akamatsu Kaede he once knew. Whether that's good or bad is something only time will tell. For now, Amami Rantarou decides to continue keeping a close eye on both Akamatsu and Saihara.

It's the least he can do as someone who's only talent is to die first before anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, hope you guys had a happy New Year! Didn't exactly expect to come back to this fic, but aaaay, I'm just glad I was able to update this fic!
> 
> And here we have Amami Rantarou, who proves that Saihara isn't alone in this—because Saihara really isn't the only one going through time-loops. Of course, the difference between Amami and Saihara is that Amami's been in this game long enough to lose count while it's only Saihara's first time. That's why Amami is so calm to learn that he's died…because he always dies first.
> 
> That's what happens to him. It's gotten to the point where he's just resigned himself to that fate…but he still will try his best to make sure the others survive. He doesn't expect to last long, but he'll try to at least survive long enough to make sure Saihara gets used to his situation. Again, it's his first time and Amami just wants to help him.
> 
> By the by, Amami isn't the only time-looper around (who isn't Saihara), as there are a few more within the cast. And just to let you know—Shirogane Tsumugi isn't one. That's as much as I'll say for now, but do keep that in mind.
> 
> Anyways, the reason why Siaede went for  _Berserk_  and  _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_  is because they were safe as some sort of long-running manga that are well-known enough to get Shirogane off her case. The problem, however, is that Shirogane doesn't expect someone so soft-looking to like such a dark and grisly seinen series and with  _JJBA_ , there are different parts and Siaede wouldn't know how many parts would exist at that point since she has no idea WHEN it is in-game.
> 
> It's like, trying to blend in while still sticking out in some sense. She wants to blend in as much as possible, if only to avoid unwanted attention, which hasn't done her any good because she's wearing Saihara's cap and she's acting a lot different from the original Akamatsu.
> 
> Hope you liked the handholding in this chapter, as you have the Clair de Lune discord chat to thank for that— **sealingdesigneejosephine** ( **memoriesofpurelight** ) especially, considering you have her to thank for handholding with Amami (especially that line he said). Credit goes to her for that, and I just love it.
> 
> Was hoping to get a lot farther in this time, but it just…again, felt right to end it here. We got Amami in now, so that's something. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I really did like writing it!
> 
> Hoping to get a lot more updates in during this year, so until next time, everyone!


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